Improvement in electric signaling attachments to railroad-cars



D. ROUSSEAU.

ELECTRIC SIGNALLIN'G ATTACHMENT 'I'O RAILROAD CARS. No.174,979. Patented March 21,1876.

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UNITED STATES DAVID RoUssEAU, OF NEW YORK, n. Y.,"A ssIeNoR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

PATENT OFFICE.

TO WILLIAM F. SMITH AND SAMUEL SAMUELS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRIC SIGNALING ATTACHMENTS T0 RAILROAD-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters PatentNo. [74,979, dated March 21, 1876; application filed February 2, 1876.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DAVID RoUssEAU, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Electric Signaling Attachment to Railroad- Oars, of which the following is a specification:

Figure 1 is a rear view of a railroad-train provided with my improved attachment. Fig. 2 is a top view of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section of one of the spring-fingers that are applied to the train. Fig. 4 is a horizontal longitudinal section of the same, showing it bent by a stationary post. Fig. 5 is a sectional side view of the circuit-closing device, which is appliedto the telegraph-post.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures. T

This invention has for its object more particularly to supply railroad-trains with devices which will warn other trains on the same track, in case part of a train has accidentally broken loose from the remainder and remains on the tracka source of danger to succeedin g trains. Especially for freight-trains, such as long coal-trains, my invention will be useful, as it is not practicable to use bell-ropes on such trains.

My invention is, however, also applicable to passenger and other trains, and may be advantageously applied for signaling to stations the position of a train, for setting signals in front or rear of the train, and for other analogous purposes.

In the accompanying drawing, the letter A represents the locomotive or one of the front cars of a train, and B the rear car, or one of the rear cars, thereof. 0 is a spring-finger attached to the car A, and D another springfinger, attached to the car B. Each of these spring-fingers is, by a vertical pin, a, pivoted to a shank, b, and is further connected with a spring, 01, which tends to keep it in line with the shank, but nevertheless allows it to vibrate on its pivot a.

I prefer to make the shank b tubular, as shown, and cause it to embrace the spring (1; but the shank may also be made solid and the spring fastened to its outer side.

The shank is to be fastened to the end or side of the car by means of staples or sockets,

which are firmly attached to said car, or may be directly attached to the car.

I prefer, however, to fasten the shank in such manner that it may be easily removed from one car and applied to another, so that after a train is made up a shank with its projecting pivoted spring-finger may be easily placed on the rear car. When I use two fingers, O and D, on a train, they are to be attached on different planes'i. e one farther from the ground than the otherso that the front finger 0 will ali'ect one circuit-closer and the rear finger another.

The circuit-closers E F are pendent rods, pivoted to arms 0 and f, respectively, that project from telegraph-posts G. The pendent rod E hangs in the way of the finger G, and the rod F in the way of the finger D. When said rods E F hang vertically suspended .the circuit, through a conductor, 9, is broken directly above the horizontal pivot-pin h of such finger but when the rod E is swung, by contact with the finger on the car, around its axis,

a cam, i, on the pivot 71. will crowd a spring end, g", of the conductor against the other end g of the samc conductor, (see Fig. 5,) and thereby close a circuit through said conductor, and set or give a signal of suitable kind at a distant place.

I propose to use the double system of fingers as follows: The locomotive or front car carries a finger, U, and at a given distance inv front of a certain signal, H, said finger strikes the pendent arm E, and causes an electric circuit to be established, whereby said signal H is set to indicate danger. A train following the first will, upon reaching within sight of said signal H, perceive that the line in front is occupied, and be cautioned accordingly. As soon as the finger l) of the rear car of the front train reaches and strikes the pendent rod F another current will be established through the conductor g, or through another distinct conductor, and the signal H thereby set to indicate safety. The succeeding train may then proceed with safety; but if the rear car of the first train should have become uncoupled, and not'reach the pendent rod F, the signal H will remain at danger, and the obstruction of the track thereby be indicated.

The signal H may also be electrically connected with another signal, I, farther in front,which, if H is not set at safety in the manner described, will apprise the engineer of the locomotive A of the fact that his rear cars have become detached, and thus absolute safety may be insured.

My system can also be utilized if but one finger, O or D, is carried on each train for setting signals in front or rear of such train, or both front and rear, for giving notices at stations that the train is arriving or has reached a certain place, or for giving other desirable or valuable information.

The construction of the pivoted spring-finger will recommend itself as eminently practical. If such finger should strike the post J of a bridge, as in Fig. 4, the wall of a tunnel, or other stationary obstruction, it will swing aside and pass the obstruction without injury to either, but will afterward immediately right itself. If it reach the pendent arm E or F in its way it will strike the same with sufficient 2. The combination, on a railroad-train, of

two horiz0ntaliy-projecting spring-fingers, G and D, with each other, the one being on a diiferent plane from the other, substantially as specified, for the purpose set forth.

3. The circuit-closer E, suspended from a horizontal pivot, h, which carries a cam, i, and combined with the conductor ends 9 and g, substantially as herein shown and described.

DAVID ROUSSEAU.

Witnesses:

ERNEST 0. W333, F. V. BRIESEN. 

